Ziva's Fear
by vamp926
Summary: TIVA: This is a sequel to my oneshot Almost. It's been 6 months since Tony was shot and Tony and Ziva are doing well, until several unexpected things happen.
1. Terror in the Night

A/N: This is the sequel to my one-shot Almost. I was totally bored in class today and someone reviewed my last story and said I should right a sequel, anf here it it. This takes place six months after Almost. 

* * *

Terror in the Night

_**Flashback**_

_There was a loud shot and Tony collapsed onto the ground next to the Charger. Ziva hurried over to him as McGee scanned the surrounding area, gun in hand. Ziva looked down at Tony, watching the blood stain the pavement, like Ari's blood had stained Gibbs's basement…_

_**End Flashback**_

Ziva David sat up in bed suddenly, breathing heavily. Another nightmare had plagued her. They had started a few weeks after Tony's accident, and had not let up in the slightest. Ziva looked over at Tony, who was sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to Ziva's restlessness. Her eyes wandered over the circular scar on Tony's left shoulder. It had been during hi stay in the hospital, six months ago, that they had confessed their love to each other. (With Gibbs's permission, of course!) Ever since, Ziva had been afraid of losing Tony, not that she showed it. She was constantly having nightmares, and whenever Tony went out for case without her, she worried obsessively, and had started spending time with Abby in her lab to keep calm. Ziva couldn't help but worry, she was afraid of losing someone else that she loved. First it was Tali with the suicide bomber, and then Ari, her brother, killed by her own hand. Ziva knew that if she lost Tony, there was no way she could keep it together.

Ziva sighed and looked at the clock, which showed four-thirty, which meant that she had gotten more sleep then she had last night. Ziva rolled out of bed, kissed Tony gently on the forehead, and headed to the bathroom. She tuned the water on, quickly shed her clothes, and stepped under the warm water. For a moment, she just stood there, letting the warm water roll off of her skin, relaxing her and melting her tension away. Twenty minutes later, Ziva stepped out of the shower, refreshed. She quickly wrapped herself into Tony's robe to keep the cold away and then quietly slipped back into the bedroom. She rifled through her drawer, found something suitable to wear to work and quickly dressed. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was ten after five and Gibbs wanted them at the office by seven, which meant it was time to wake up Tony.

"Time to get up, my little hairy butt," Ziva whispered into his ear, using the nickname that she had given him during their undercover stint as a married couple. Tony mumbled something unintelligible, but rolled out of bed.

"Morning, Zee-vah," Tony said, drawing out her name, which he did when he was irritated. Ziva just smiled, she knew that by the time he was out of the shower, his mood would be much improved.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Tony stood under the hot water in the shower, muttering Italian expletives under his breath. His shoulder was aching, which meant rain was on the way. He cursed again, muttering how he was turning into Gibbs. When he stepped out of the shower, he opened the medicine cabinet above the sink and pulled out his pain pills. Two in the morning and two at night, probably for the rest of his life. He entered the bedroom and got dressed as his listened to the sounds of Ziva making breakfast in the kitchen. At the thought of Ziva, a smile crossed his face. They had gotten together in the aftermath of the shooting. NCIS had never found the shooter, even after extensive searching of the area. Abby, however, had kept the slug that the doctors pulled out of his shoulder, just in case they ever got a match. Tony finished buttoning his shirt and headed to the kitchen where he found Ziva making eggs. He slipped his arms around her waist and kissed the nape of her neck, which was left exposed by her ponytail.

"Mmm… morning, Tony," Ziva said, turning in his arms to face him.

"Morning, Ziva," Tony answered. This time Tony kissed her on the lips. They stayed lip-locked for a moment, before Ziva broke away to check the eggs.

"How did you sleep?" Tony asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Fine, you?" Ziva lied, avoiding Tony's eyes.

"Good, are you sure you slept well? I could have sworn I heard you tossing and turning," Tony casually observed as Ziva sat a plate of eggs in front of him.

"I was fine," Ziva insisted. Tony eyed her for a moment, but then turned his attention to the plate of eggs in front of him. Ziva rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee, she wasn't really hungry, and the nightmare must have affected her appetite.

Thirty minutes later, Tony and Ziva arrived at NCIS headquarters, where they found Gibbs already at work.

"Morning, DiNozzo, David," Gibbs said, acknowledging their arrival. McGee came in a few moments after Tony and Ziva had settled at their desks.

"Probie," DiNozzo exclaimed when he saw McGee walk in the door.

"Tony," McGee said, nodding his head in Tony's direction.

"What did you do last night, Probie, play elf lord again?" Tony said.

"No, for your information, I had a date last night," McGee answered as he sat at his desk.

"Was she blind, McGee? Cause she had to have been to go out with you," Tony goaded.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs said, ending the inquisition.

"Sorry, Boss," Tony muttered, and winced as he rolled his shoulder. Gibbs noticed this and watched Tony out of the corner of his eye as it happened again.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said.

"What, Boss? I didn't do anything this time," Tony replied indignantly.

"Go down and see Ducky, Have him take a look at your shoulder," Gibbs said.

"It's fine, Boss, it's just going to rain today," Tony said, looking worriedly at Ziva and watching for her reaction to Gibbs sending him to see Ducky.

"That wasn't an order, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, giving him the famous Gibbs stare.

"On it, Boss," Tony said, standing and heading towards the elevator. On his way past Ziva, he brushed her shoulder. It was their private way of telling each other they were okay. Only, Ziva wasn't letting on that she wasn't okay.

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A/N: So did you like it? Please review and leave me your thoughts. And FYI: They are at Tony's apartment in the beginning of the scene, in case you didn't catch that.


	2. Unexpected Results

Unexpected Results

When Tony returned from autopsy with a clean bill of health, he found the rest of the team gearing up. Gibbs tossed Tony the keys.

"Gas the truck, DiNozzo, we've got a dead body," Gibbs said. Tony hurried down to the truck bay, gassed the truck and pulled alongside the elevator. He knew this was Gibbs's way of making sure Tony didn't hurt his shoulder by trying to carry one of the backpacks. When the rest of the team got in the truck, Tony pulled away and followed Gibbs's direction to the scene of the crime.

When they arrived at the house, the LEO's had already taped off the scene. Gibbs went up to the man in charge.

"Gibbs," he said, shaking the captain's hand.

"Walker," the captain replied.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked.

"Neighbors say they heard a shot and called 911, we got here, found out that it was a dead marine and called you," Walker explained.

"Does the dead marine have a name?" Gibbs asked.

"Lieutenant Jeffery Scotts," Walker replied. Gibbs nodded and walked over to his team.

"DiNozzo, ask around, find out who made the 911 call. Ziva, bag and tag anything you find. McGee, photographs, and where the hell is Ducky?" Gibbs ordered.

"Right behind you, Jethro," Ducky answered. "Would you believe that Mr. Palmer got us lost, again?"

"Yes, Ducky, I would," Gibbs said, smiling. Meanwhile, Tony was asking questions around the crowd.

"Did you see or hear anything?" Tony asked one woman.

"Yes, I was the one that made the 911 call," the woman answered.

"Can I get your name?" Tony asked.

"Melanie Merkel," the woman answered.

"Well, Melanie, can you please describe what you heard or saw.

"Well, I'm Jeff's neighbor and I was working in the garden and I heard voices coming from inside the house. I figured that he had friends over and they were watching a sports game or something, but then I heard the gun shots, and I immediately ran inside the house and called 911," Melanie explained to Tony.

"Did you see anyone enter or exit the house?" Tony asked.

"No," Melanie said.

"Can you describe Lt. Scotts relationship with the rest of the community? Do you know if anyone had a grudge against Lt. Scotts?" Tony asked.

"No, Jeff was the kind of person you could go to for anything. He helped the singles mothers with odd jobs and at Christmas he always helped the Wilson's put up their Christmas decorations. I can't imagine why anyone would want to kill him," Melanie said, her eyes honest.

"Thank you, if we need anything further from you, we'll call," Tony said, closing his notebook and headed back over to Gibbs.

"What did you find out?"Gibbs asked him.

"The neighbor, a Melanie Merkel, claims that she was working in her garden when she heard shouts and then the gunshots. Also says that there is no one in the neighborhood that she knows of that would have a grudge against Lt. Scotts. He was a helpful guy, the kind that come from a small community, always eager to help," Tony told Gibbs as he followed Gibbs into the house.

"What do you have for me, Duck?" Gibbs asked, bending over Ducky's shoulder.

"It was a sad day for Lt. Scotts indeed. He suffered two shots, one in the leg which only nicked the skin, and then the kill shot. Shot at point blank range in the chest, I'll have to take him in to retrieve the slug," Ducky said.

"Anything else?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, particularly curious, Jethro. There appear to be defensive wounds on his hands and arms, almost like he was trying to defend himself against a physical attack. I'll know more when I take the body in," Ducky answered, packing up his field kit.

"Call me when you find something," Gibbs said.

"Ziva," Gibbs called.

"In the bedroom," Ziva's voice answered. Gibbs and Tony walked down the hallway and found Ziva in the last bedroom on the right.

"Find anything?" Gibbs asked Ziva.

"Our Lieutenant had a lady friend over last night, there is semen on the bed and I found this on the lampshade," Ziva said, holding up a green, silk, lace bra.

"Bag it, Ziva," Gibbs told her. "DiNozzo, help Ziva."

"Yes, Boss," Tony said, snapping on a pair of gloves. Gibbs walked over to Ziva.

"Don't let him lift anything," he whispered to her.

"Don't worry, I won't," Ziva replied, smirking.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

When the team arrived back at headquarters, Gibbs's phone rang, it was Abby.

"Gibbs, you guys need to get down here, fast," Abby said, her voice sounding worried.

"We'll be rights down, Abs," Gibbs said and snapped his phone shut. "Downstairs, now," he told the rest of the team.

When they arrived in Abby's lab, they found her pacing in front of the computer. The first thing she did when they walked through the door was hug Tony tightly. Then, she turned towards Gibbs.

"You're not going to like this," Abby said, leaning over the desk and typing on the keyboard. "Ducky sent me the bullet he dug out of the Lieutenant's chest. The striations on the slug match those that were on the slug they pulled out of Tony. Tony's shooter is back. I ran the DNA off the hair that Ziva found and didn't get any hits and the fingerprints you guys pulled are the Lieutenents."

"Did you find anything else, Abs?" Gibbs asked, sounding frustrated.

"Not yet, but I'm working on tracing the gun again. It's defiantly the same 9mm that Tony was shot with," Abby said.

"Call me if you find anything," Gibbs said, kissing the top of Abby's head. The team followed Gibbs back to the bullpen.

"McGee, I want you to go back to the scene, make sure you guys didn't miss anything. Ziva,I want you to find out where Lieutenant Scotts worked and go there and question people, find out if he had any possible enemies," Gibbs said.

"What do you want me to do, Boss," Tony asked. Gibbs glanced at Ziva's face, which looked strained with worry.

"You're with Ziva," Gibbs answered.

"On it, Boss," Tony said, grabbing his jacket. He was about to follow Ziva to the elevator when he was pulled back by the scruff of his shirt. It was Gibbs.

"Be careful," was all Gibbs said, and then smacked Tony on the back of the head lightly.

"Of course," Tony answered, "when am I anything but?" Tony jogged to the elevator where Ziva was holding the doors. Noticing the worried look on her face, he took her hand in his and squeezed it. She looked at him and smiled.

"I love you," Tony said.

"I love you, too," Ziva answered, and they stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the Charger.

* * *

**A:N/** I know that Tony drives/drove a Mustang, but whenever they go out to investigate, they're always in the blue Charger, so that's why I said that. Please review!!! Thanks to everyone who did for the last chapter, it was much appreciated!


	3. Tony's Ghost

Tony's Ghost

After they finished interviewing people at Lieutenant Scotts workplace, Ziva and Tony stopped to get lunch for everyone and then headed back to headquarters. When they arrived, they found McGee typing away furiously.

"What's up, McGee, girlfriend steal you credit cards again?" Tony asked as he set a sandwich down on his desk.

"No, Abby found a partial on the slug," McGee answered.

"What do you got, McGee?" Gibbs asked, walking into the bullpen and taking the coffee that Ziva held out.

"Johnny Franks, age 32, born and raised in the D.C. area," McGee said, bringing the information up on the plasma. "Has a record, was arrested in '02 for possession of heroin, over 10 kilos. Also has several D.U.I.'s. Still lives with his mother just outside the city."

"McGee, Ziva, bring him in," Gibbs said, sitting behind his desk.

"What about me, Boss?" Tony asked.

"For all we know, he might think you're dead, DiNozzo, let's keep it that way for a while. You're staying here with me," Gibbs said, smacking the back of Tony's head.

"Got it, Boss," Tony said wincing at the blow on his head. "On your six."

"Go help Abby," Gibbs told him.

"Do I look like McGeek?" Tony asked. Gibbs stared at him.

"On it, Boss," Tony said, hanging his head and headed down to the lab. When he arrived, Abby hugged his again, this time squeezing his shoulder.

"Ow!" Tony exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Abby said, pulling away from him. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, my shoulder's just bothering me today," Tony nodded his head towards the window. "It's raining."

"Is there anything you need?" Abby asked.

"Gibbs sent me down here to help you while Ziva and McGee bring in the guy whose fingerprint was on the slug. I think he just wanted me out of his hair."

"So," Abby said, motioning for Tony to sit in the chair that was usually occupied by McGee, "how have things been with you and Ziva?" Tony sat down on the chair and Abby stood behind him and began to lightly massage Tony's shoulders. Instead of hurting Tony, it actually helped him relax.

"They're good," Tony said, "but I think that she's having problems sleeping."

"What makes you think that?" Abby asked.

"Well, whenever she sleeps over or vice versa, I've noticed that she's extremely restless and she wakes up really early. Like, the other night, we went to bed at twelve and she woke up at two and didn't go back to bed. That's only two hours of sleep, Abs. I'm worried about her. She talks sometimes too, only she doesn't know that I know. Most of the time I think that she's flashing back to the day I was shot, but sometimes she mutters things about Gibbs and for some strange reason, Ari. I try to ask her if everything is okay, and she always tells me yes. And she seems to sleep better when I hold her, almost like she doesn't have nightmares because she knows I'm there," Tony explained to Abby as she continued to rub his tension away. "Abs, this is better than the painkillers, you need to teach Ziva how to do this."

"Abby needs to teach me to do what?" Ziva's voice came from the doorway. Tony got up from the chair and kissed Ziva on the cheek as she walked in.

"Abby was massaging my shoulders and it felt great, didn't even hurt," Tony told her, slipping his hand into hers.

"Gibbs wants you to come and watch the interrogation," Ziva told him.

"Right, sorry Abs, Boss is calling, thanks for the rub," Tony said waving as Ziva pulled him through the door. When they got in the elevator, Tony pulled Ziva in for a hug.

"I hope you weren't getting jealous back there, because me and Abs are just friends," Tony murmured into her ear.

"No, Tony, I was not jealous, do I look like the jealous type to you?" Ziva huffed. "I was upset because she made your shoulder feel better, and I cannot."

"That's why I said she should teach you, so you can help me feel better," Tony said, kissing Ziva on the nose as the elevator door opened. "Right," Tony said, "so this ought to be fun," and he headed to observation.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Gibbs stared at the man who was seated in the chair. He looked like a normal person, but Gibbs's gut was telling him that this guy wasn't as nice as nice as her appeared. Gibbs took a photo of Tony out of a file and placed it on the table in front of the man, and then a picture of the dead lieutenant.

"Do you recognize either of these men?" Gibbs asked. The man studied the pictures for a moment, and then shook his head no.

"Are you sure, because one of them is my agent who you shot six months ago, and the other is a dead lieutenant. The slugs found in both bodies match, meaning they came from the same gun and we found your fingerprint on a slug. Want to explain why it was there?"

"I don't know," the man said for the first time. Tony, Ziva, and McGee stood watching in the observation room.

"Oh, Tony, I almost forgot to tell you, Gibbs wants you to go in there and act like a goat," Ziva said.

"It's ghost, Zee-vah," Tony said.

"Yes, well, anyway, Gibbs is going to act like he does not see you and you are supposed to get him to confess," Ziva told him, punching him lightly on his good shoulder.

"And when am I supposed to know when to go in?" Tony asked. Ziva stood studying Gibbs carefully.

"Now," Ziva said, as Gibbs sat down in the chair across from the man. Tony left observation and walked over to the interrogation door and swung it open. Gibbs didn't look, but the man did.

"You're the dead agent," the man said, sounding surprised. "They made it sound like you died."

"I did die," Tony said, circling the table. "Haven't you noticed that Special Agent Gibbs hasn't looked at me once? If I were real, he would kick my ass for interrupting interrogation. I'm here to see you, I want to know what I did to deserve to die, I don't even know who you are, and you shot me. I remember the last few moments of my life; I remember hearing my partner cry. You know the woman that brought you in, she was my partner, and she never cries. She's a trained Mossad assassin, she was trained not to cry, not to care, and yet you made her cry. Do you know what you've done to my team?"

"I didn't mean to do it," the guy suddenly yelled. Tony grinned and silently headed out the door. Gibbs looked at the man.

"Then why did you?"

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**A/N: **So I thought that the bit about Tony playing a ghost was funny... Review, please, Christmas is almost here!!!


	4. I Won't Leave You

I Won't Leave You

_"Then why did you?"_

"I didn't hit your agent, I was the one that hit the car, my partner is the one that hit your agent," the man said.

"Who's your partner?" Gibbs asked. "And why did he shoot Lieutenant Jeffery Scotts?"

"I don't know what his name is, and I don't know why he shot your lieutenant. I haven't spoken to him since your agent got shot."

"That's a lie," Gibbs stated quietly. "If you haven't spoken to him in six months, then why was your fingerprint on the slug that killed Lieutenant Scotts. What's his name?"

"His name is James Avonworth," the man said. "He said that he was after your agent because he had put his father away when he worked with Baltimore PD."

"Where can I find him?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know, he's only contacted me by phone, I haven't actually seen him since your agent got shot." Gibbs stood up and walked out of the room. He went over to the observation room and opened the door and was greeted with an "On it, Boss," from all three of his agents. Gibbs smiled to himself, he had trained them well.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Ziva sat behind her desk, eyeing Tony. She was worried again, they had gone out to another crime scene and Tony had gone to pick up the camera bag, all pain temporarily forgotten, and he had hurt his shoulder, again. Gibbs had sent him down to Ducky, but there was nothing Ducky could do for him except give him Ibuprofen because Tony wasn't allowed to take his pain pills at work. Ziva watched him as he rolled his shoulder, and wince every time he did.

"DiNozzo, go home," Gibbs said as he walked into the bullpen with a new cup of coffee. "And take Ziva with you."

"Why?" DiNozzo asked.

"Excuse me?" Gibbs asked, turning to look at him. "I didn't know that I had to explain myself to you." Gibbs said, smacking Tony on the back of the head. "Now go home."

"On it, Boss," Tony said. He and Ziva packed up their things and headed towards the elevator. The ride to the car was silent. When they finally got in Tony's car, Ziva finally spoke.

"How did you know that I cried?" Ziva asked quietly. As far as she had known, only Gibbs knew that she had cried the day that Tony was shot.

"Gibbs told me," Tony answered Tony without looking at her.

"Did McGee know before today that I cried?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, he knew, he figured it out when he saw you come back with Gibbs and your eyes were red," Tony told her, making the turn down the street to his apartment. Ziva looked at him, debating whether or not to tell him what had been haunting her mind for the past few days. If Tony would have been paying attention, he would have seen Ziva's hands flutter over her stomach.

"Tony, there is something I need to tell you," Ziva bean hesitantly. "I am late." Tony looked at her quizzically.

"Late for what?" he asked, looking confused, "I didn't know that you had to be somewhere."

"No, Tony, I am late, I think I'm pregnant," Ziva said unsurely. Tony just looked at her. "Tony, eyes on the road." Ziva said as they were almost hit by a passing car.

"Do you know for sure?" Tony asked, finally getting his voice back.

"No, I have not taken a pregnancy test yet," Ziva answered, which made Tony pull a U-turn and head in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" Ziva asked, startled by the change of direction.

"To the drugstore," Tony said.

After they went to the drugstore and bought two pregnancy tests, they returned to Tony's apartment and anxiously waited for the results. They sat of the bed, hands clasped nervously, waiting for Tony's kitchen time to go off. When it did, Ziva jumped.

"Are you ready?" Tony asked. Ziva nodded and they each picked up a test. Ziva stared at hers in disbelief; there on the strip was a little pink plus. Tony's showed the same thing.

"Oh my God," Ziva whispered and clutched her stomach. Tony looked over at her, and noticed the look of fear in her eyes. Tony immediately understood what was going through her mind and wrapped her in his arms.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you," Tony said, kissing her forehead. "I promise."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry it's so short, I was having writer's block. Please review. Also, if there is anything you would like to see happen, or an insde joke included, please tell me, I would be happy to include my audience's ideas, because, after all, you are the one's reading it.


	5. Future Mrs DiNozzo

Future Mrs. DiNozzo

"Should we tell Gibbs?" Ziva asked, pulling away from Tony.

"No, not right away, let's keep it a secret for a while," Tony answered.

"Not even Abby?" Ziva asked, looking at Tony. Since Tony's accident, the Goth girl had become Ziva's best friend, which had surprised everyone.

"Ziva, I would say yes, but she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself. First she would tell McGee, and then Ducky, then Palmer, and it would eventually end up getting to Gibbs. But when we do decide to tell everyone, we can tell Abby first," Tony said, rubbing Ziva's shoulders. Ziva leaned back into Tony, making sure she didn't bump his shoulder. Tony placed his hands lightly on Ziva's stomach.

"It is amazing, yes?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, it is," Tony whispered. "I love you, so much, Ziva. I was going to wait, but I think now is a better time," Tony said, getting up and heading to his dresser. Ziva watched him carefully as he extracted something out of his top drawer; he then returned and got on one knee in front of her. Ziva gasped.

"Ziva, I don't know what I would do without. You make work more bearable, you always make me smile. I wasn't sure about you when we first met, but then I came to find that you were a beautiful, strong, independent woman who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. The moment I knew that I loved you was when we were undercover, and you didn't want to leave because you were afraid that they would kill me. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that you shouldn't care, whatever sacrifices that had to be made to finish a job you would do, but you did care, and it was then that I fell in love with you. Ziva, will you marry me?" Tony asked, opening the lid of the box revealing a beautiful diamond ring. It was platinum ring with a diamond in the center with two sapphires on either side of it.

"Oh Tony," Ziva gasped. She hadn't been expecting this.

"Please say yes, Ziva," Tony said, pleading with his eyes. Ziva looked at him; she knew that this was a very big step for him.

"Oh course," Ziva said. Tony slipped the ring onto Ziva's finger and then leaned up and kissed her.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

That night, Ziva slept soundly, for the first time in several months. But she was awakened by something not so nice, her stomach.

"And so it begins," Ziva mumbled, running for the bathroom. Tony heard her retching, and followed Ziva into the bathroom, where he found her bent over the toilet. Tony leaned over her and started rubbing her back.

"The first of many, huh?" Tony asked. Ziva sat up and wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper.

"Yes, Tony," Ziva answered him, a bit irritated. After Ziva and Tony took their showers, they headed into work. When Gibbs saw Ziva's pale face, he immediately became suspicious.

"David, Ducky's, now," Gibbs ordered, using her last name, so she knew it wasn't a debate. Ziva got up to head down to autopsy, when Gibbs stood in front of her. "And by the way, Ziva, congratulations," Gibbs said, pointing to the ring that Ziva had forgotten to take off before coming to work. Ziva blushed.

"Thank you," she said, and stepped into the elevator and before the doors closed, Ziva caught a glimpse of Gibbs slapping Tony on the back of the head, and she smiled.

Ziva told Ducky that she just wasn't feeling well, and Ducky sent her back upstairs with a clean bill of health. On her way back up to the bullpen, Ziva decided to stop and see Abby. When Ziva entered the lab, she found Abby standing in the doorway between her office and the lab with her hand on her hip.

"Ziva am I not your friend?" the Goth girl asked seriously.

"Yes, of course you are," Ziva answered, somewhat confused by the question.

"Then why did I have to find out from McGee that you're engaged?" Abby asked, pouting. Realization hit Ziva.

"I am sorry Abby, when I got here this morning I guess I wasn't on top of the weather and Gibbs sent me down to Ducky right away and before I went down, he saw the ring. I was going to tell you on my way up from seeing Ducky," Ziva exclaimed, hugging Abby. "I am going to kill McGee for ruining it," Ziva mumbled. Abby just laughed.

"So, was it romantic?" Abby asked. "Knowing Tony, probably not."

"Some people might think that it was not romantic, but I thought that it was," Ziva said, smiling on the memory.

"Uh, Ziva," Abby said, hesitantly. "Is there anything you would like to ask me?"

"Abby, will you be my maid of honor?" Ziva asked, smiling. Abby's eyes brightened.

"Of course, what a silly thing to ask," Abby said, hugging Ziva again. Their hug, however, was interrupted by Ziva's cell phone. It was Gibbs.

"Get up here and gear up, we've got another dead body," Gibbs said. Ziva snapped the phone shut and gave Abby an apologetic smile.

"Duty calls," Ziva said. She waved good bye to Abby and stepped into the elevator.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Ziva and McGee ducked under the yellow caution tape at the scene of their newest crime. Gibbs had told them to bag and tag and photograph, respectively. As they walked into the house, Ziva stopped McGee.

"Why did you tell Abby?" Ziva demanded.

"I'm sorry," McGee said, uncertainly.

"McGee, do you have many friends?" Ziva asked.

"I, uh…" McGee trailed off.

"Because how would you feel if you asked someone to marry you and I told your best friend before you did. How would that make you feel?" Ziva said, advancing toward him and trapping him against the wall.

"Really, Ziva, I'm sorry, I thought that Abby would already know, I didn't mean to spoil it on purpose," McGee said, his face turning red. Ziva stepped away from McGee and headed inside the house.

"I forgive you," Ziva said, turning her head over her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Tony was with Gibbs, going door to door to see if anyone had heard anything.

"So, you asked Ziva to marry you?" Gibbs asked as he and Tony walked to the neighbor's house.

"Yeah," Tony said.

"I hope it was romantic," Gibbs said. "It's the least she deserves; after all, now she has to put up with you for the rest of her life."

"Gee thanks, Boss. Way to make a man feel good about his future married life," Tony retorted. Gibbs just looked at him. "Hey, Boss," Tony began, uncertainly.

"Yeah, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, already starting to look annoyed.

"Will you be my best man?" Tony finished. There were several seconds of silence between the two men. "I mean, I can always ask McGee."

"Of course, Tony. I'll be your best man," Gibbs finally answered. Tony was caught off guard; Gibbs rarely called him anything besides DiNozzo.

"Thanks, Boss," Tony said, smiling.

"You know, DiNozzo, I've always considered you as a son, and I'm proud of you and the fact that you've finally decided to settle down," Gibbs said, clasping his hand on Tony's good shoulder. Tony just smiled. "Now, get back to work," Gibbs said, slapping Tony on the back of the head.

"On your six, Boss," Tony answered.

* * *

**A/N:** So, did you like it? If you did, click that little button that says go and tell me. The link for the picture of Ziva's ring is in my profile. Also, I would still like to hear from you if you have any ideas or want to see an inside joke featured from the show. I'd be more than happy to include my reader's ideas. 


	6. A Friend and a Threat

A Friend and A Threat

The crime scene had turned up no new evidence. The only thing that they were left with was the slug pulled from the dead body and it was no surprise that it matched the other two. When it came time to leave, Ziva decided that she was going to stay a little longer.

"Come on, Zee-vah, time to go home," Tony said, swinging his backpack over his good shoulder. McGee and Gibbs were also packing up, and Ziva knew that Abby, Ducky, and Palmer had left long ago.

"No, I think that I am going to stay here for a little while longer," Ziva said. Tony looked at her sternly.

"Tony, go home, you have had a long day. My car is here, and I will follow you shortly," Ziva said, making no move to get up from behind her desk.

"Alright," Tony said, giving in. "Be careful, and I love you," Tony said as he leaned over the desk to kiss her on the cheek.

"Do not worry, Tony, I can take care of myself" Ziva told him, smiling. Tony headed towards the elevator and was followed by McGee and Gibbs. Ziva waved good bye to them also and then turned back to her desk. She was running a search for James Avonworth, hoping that she could find anything. She knew that Tony and McGee had run the search, but she was hoping that she could find him. After all, she couldn't wait to be rid of the man that had caused her nightmares.

Some hours later, Ziva yawned loudly and decided that since she had come up with nothing, she might as well go home to Tony. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was eleven already. Sighing, she packed up her things and headed toward the elevator. Unfortunately, her car wasn't parked in the garage; it was parked in the parking lot, in the back corner. As she walked out to her car she fumbled in her pocket for her keys. She didn't even notice the person standing by her car, and when she finally did see them, it was too late.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Tony looked at the clock, it was one in the morning, and Ziva still wasn't home. She wasn't answering her cell phone or her office phone either. Tony finally made the decision. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

Gibbs was awoken by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He looked at the caller ID, saw that it was DiNozzo and picked it up.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs growled. "You better have a pretty damn good reason why you're calling me at one in the morning."

"It's Ziva," Tony said. "She hasn't come home yet and she's not answering her cell or picking up at the office. I think something is wrong."

"Call McGee and meet me at the Navy Yard," Gibbs said, throwing the covers off the bed. He dressed hurriedly and ran out to his car. Gibbs made it to the Navy Yard in ten minutes, a new personal record. Tony and McGee were already there.

"Where was Ziva parked?" Gibbs asked.

"In the back corner of the lot," Tony answered, grimacing as he now realized how stupid that was. Gibbs stared silently at him; the look was enough to make the strongest, bravest man cower against a wall. He, Gibbs, and McGee headed to Ziva's mini cooper, training their flashlights on the ground, looking for any clue to tell them what had happened to Ziva.

"Boss!" McGee's voice sounded from the front of the car. Tony and Gibbs walked around to where McGee was standing; he had his flashlight trained on a wallet.

"Boss," Tony said quietly, "that's not Ziva's." Gibbs took a handkerchief out of his pocket and picked it up carefully, so as not to transfer his prints to the wallet.

"Call Abby," Gibbs said to McGee. "Get her in here now so she can run these prints. DiNozzo, call the Director and tell her that Ziva's been kidnapped, then call Ducky and tell him that we're going need him on standby for when we find Ziva."

"Boss," Tony said weakly.

"We'll find her, DiNozzo, and it's Ziva we're talking about, she can take care of herself," Gibbs reassured Tony, clasping his hand on Tony's shoulder.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Ziva's eyes fluttered open slowly, and she took a moment to take in her surroundings. She was in what appeared to be a basement of a house. On the far wall there was a wide screen television and a luxurious looking couch. There were no windows, but Ziva could make out the stairs on the wall opposite from her. She sat up slowly and rubbed her head and as she did, she felt something sticky on her brow. She pulled her hand away and saw that it was blood. When she realized that she had been out, without knowing what her captors did to her, her arms instinctively went to cradle her still flat stomach. She had no way of knowing if the baby was still all right.

Ziva was suddenly startled when she heard the door at the top of the steps open. When it did, a girl came downstairs with a tray. She looked to be in her late teens, with brown curly hair and green eyes.

"Oh good, you're up," the girl said when she saw Ziva's curious eyes watching her. The girl sat the tray down in front of Ziva and then sat on the floor next to her. "Hi, I'm Maddie," the girl said, extending her hand.

"Ziva," Ziva answered, as she took Maddie's hand and shook it. Maddie noticed that Ziva's arms were protectively wrapped around her middle still.

"Don't worry; my dad didn't hurt you, besides that nasty gash on your forehead. He knows you're pregnant, and if he gets caught, he doesn't want to add negligent homicide to his list of crimes," Maddie said. "And you can eat the food, it's all kosher."

"Thank you," Ziva whispered.

"I'm awfully sorry about all this," Maddie said, truly looking ashamed. "I know what your fiancée did to my grandfather, but I think that my dad is taking this a bit too far. I told him not to do it." Maddie sighed. "I can't help you escape either, if I did, he would beat me."

"It is alright, I do not blame you," Ziva said taking a bite of the food. It was so delicious and the last time that Ziva had eaten was the day before.

"What time is it?" Ziva asked, as she ate more food. She knew that she was going to regret it later, what with the pregnancy, but she was hungry.

"It's ten," Maddie answered. "My dad brought you here at about eleven thirty last night, you've been out since then."

"You know that my team will come looking for me," Ziva said, imagining NCIS headquarters busy with people, trying to find her.

"I know, and I'm going to go tell them where you are, as soon as my dad falls asleep. That way, I won't have technically helped you escape," Maddie said.

"Thank you so much," Ziva said. She rarely found kindness in someone that wasn't fake, and this girl radiated kindness from everywhere. "If I have a daughter, I would want her to be like you," Ziva said, taking Maddie's hand.

"Thanks," Maddie said, blushing. "You know, I never had a mother. She died when I was little. She had cancer. My gram told me that she was going to the hospital for tests, she never came back. I was five," Maddie said, leaning into Ziva. Ziva was startled at first, but then she relaxed and placed her arm around the young girl.

"How old are you?" Ziva asked.

"I'm seventeen," Maddie replied. "I'm a senior in high school, and I'm on the varsity track team," Maddie boasted.

"That's wonderful," Ziva said, comforted by the young girl's presence. Even though she was kidnapped, it didn't feel that way. Just then, the door at the top of the steps burst open and slammed into the wall. A man, about six foot five and two hundred pounds, stormed down the stairs.

"What did I tell you?" he yelled at Maddie.

"I'm sorry," Maddie mumbled, standing up. "I was just keeping her company."

"She doesn't need company, now get upstairs and make dinner," the man yelled once again. Every word he said seemed to slice through the happiness that Maddie had just created with Ziva, Maddie glanced apologetically at Ziva and headed up the stairs, ducking a swipe at her head form her father. The man then rounded on Ziva.

"Wonder how you're little boyfriend feels now that he's lost something he cares about," the man sneered. Ziva assumed that this was James Avonworth, the man that had shot Tony and two other people and now had kidnapped her. "Oh, I know all about you. I know how worried you were when you saw him fall six months ago, I saw your face. I know that you've constantly had nightmares since then. I want that bastard DiNozzo to feel as much pain as I felt when I lost my father. I know that you're pregnant with that bastard's child and I know that you're engaged." It was when he said this that Ziva noticed that her engagement ring wasn't on her finger.

"Just noticed, have you. I took it off, I could have you attempting a swing at me with that sucker on," James sneered as he advanced towards Ziva. The only thing that was on Ziva's mind was keeping her unborn child safe, so she did something that was most unlike her, she cowered in the corner, afraid that any defiance might bring harm to her and the baby.

"I am sorry that my fiancée arrested your father, but is that really reason to kidnap me?" Ziva asked. Ziva thought that this was a safe question, but apparently it wasn't, because James struck her across the face with the back of his hand. It didn't help that James hadn't removed his own rings, which included a class ring and a football ring. Ziva winced as she felt the rings break her skin and she felt a warm trickle of blood start to flow from the newly created wound.

"That bastard took away the only person that cared for me, so now I am going to do the same thing to him." Ziva's face must have showed fear, because James laughed.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, but if you don't watch yourself, you just might find yourself losing that baby of yours," James said. "One good swift kick and that miracle of life is as good as dead." Obviously finished threatening Ziva, he stomped back up the stairs and shut the door, and Ziva heard the resounding click of the lock. Touching her hand gently, a silent tear trickled down Ziva's face and she once more protectively cradled her stomach.

"I will let anything happen to this baby," Ziva whispered to herself. "I will not."

* * *

**A/N:** Once again, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and comments. I know that Ziva might seem a little OOC, but remember, she's not thinking of just herself anymore. She has to think of the baby too. In the next chapter, Gibbs finds out about the baby. And just so you all know, I am not going to kill the baby, Ziva, or Tony. But I would like your opinion on something, I haven't decided what the baby is going to be yet, but, if I decide to make it a girl, what would you think if I decided to name the baby after Kate? Thoughts, opinions, and comments are welcome!! Oh, and Happy Holidays!! 


	7. Rescued But No Arrest

Rescued But No Arrest

"God damn it," Tony swore. They had been searching for hours, and they still hadn't found Ziva. On the plus side, Abby had gotten a hit off the prints on the wallet. Their suspect was indeed James Avonworth. The only problem was that the address listed on his driver's license was an abandoned warehouse. They had tried pinging Ziva's cell, but she either didn't have service or her phone was off. It was then when Tony decided to tell Gibbs about the baby.

"Uh, Boss," Tony said, hesitantly, not sure of how his boss was going to react.

"What, DiNozzo?" Gibbs snapped, looking irritated.

"Well, um, I thought that you should know it's really important that he find this bastard before he hurts Ziva," Tony began. Gibbs stared at him.

"Ya think, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, getting out of his chair with the intent of smacking the back of Tony's head.

"Boss, Ziva's pregnant," Tony said, bracing himself for the smack to come, but it never came. Tony looked up and saw Gibbs staring at him, dumbfounded.

"What?" Gibbs said in disbelief.

"Ziva's pregnant, we only found out a couple of days ago. That's when I proposed," Tony explained.

"And when were you planning on telling me this?" Gibbs demanded, seeming to regain his senses.

"We were going to tell you, honest Boss, but Ziva wanted to wait," Tony said, holding up his hands.

"Boss," McGee interrupted, "Ziva's phone just showed up." Gibbs and Tony walked over to the plasma and McGee brought it up. The blinking red light that was Ziva's phone showed that she was in Virginia. "The address is registered to an Alice Kizy."

"Gas the car," Gibbs said, going over to his desk and grabbing his gun and badge. Tony and McGee did the same and then headed to the truck bay.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Several hours after Ziva's encounter with James, Maddie came back downstairs, this time with a garbage bag and trash can. She also had two bottles of water and a set of pajamas.

"Here," Maddie said, handing Ziva a bottle of water and the pajamas. "I didn't think that you would want to sleep in your bloody clothes." Maddie politely turned away to give Ziva privacy to change and busied herself with setting up the trashcan. When Ziva had changed, she gave the trashcan a questioning look. "It's for when you get morning sickness," Maddie said, answering the unsaid question. Maddie then pulled out a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and several band aids and cotton balls. She busied herself cleaning Ziva's cuts. Ziva just sat there, amazed at the Maddie's generosity. When Maddie finally looked at Ziva; there were tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," Maddie whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen." Ziva pulled Maddie into her arms and hugged her.

"Do not worry, I do not blame you. I cannot hold you accountable for the actions of your father," Ziva said, stroking the young girl's hair, and for the first time in her life, Ziva felt helpless.

"When he came back up, he started beating me," Maddie sobbed, "and he said that I was worthless." Ziva didn't know what to do, then an idea came to her.

"Maddie, you know that when NCIS finds me, they are going to arrest your father," Ziva said. Maddie nodded, still sniffling. "And I am sure that you do not want to go into foster care, right?" Ziva asked, and Maddie nodded again. "How would you like to come live with me and Tony? We would take care of you, and when the baby comes, I can tell already that you would be a big help. I'm sure that Tony wouldn't mind." Maddie's eyes brightened.

"Really?" she asked in amazement. Ziva nodded. "That would be great," Maddie exclaimed, "I'd love too!" Maddie hugged Ziva tightly and then pulled back. "You're going to make a great mom," Maddie said quietly. Ziva smiled.

"Thank you," she said. Maddie then stood up.

"I'd better go before I get caught again. Don't worry, as soon as he falls asleep I'm going to call NCIS," Maddie said, reassuring Ziva. She then quietly slipped back up the stairs and Ziva was once again left alone.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Gibbs drove as fast as he could towards the address that McGee gave to him. He knew that he and Tony were thinking the same thing; they hoped that that man hadn't done anything to hurt the baby. If he had, there was an awful big price that that man was going to pay.

"Right here, Boss," McGee said, breaking through Gibbs's thoughts. Gibbs stomped on the breaks causing Tony and McGee to lurch forward. All three jumped out of the truck, guns ready, and silently headed for the front door. Gibbs nodded and Tony kicked open the door and ran into the house. Maddie was sitting on the couch when they ran inside.

"He's upstairs," she said, "and Ziva's in the basement."

"McGee, with me," Gibbs said and they headed up the stairs.

"Take me to her," Tony said. Maddie wordlessly showed him the basement door. He ran down the stairs, almost tripping as he did. When Ziva heard the commotion, she looked up and saw Tony coming down the steps. She got up and ran into his waiting arms.

"Tony," she said, tears falling from her eyes.

"It's okay, I got you now," Tony said, stroking her hair. Tony turned to look at Maddie with Ziva still in his arms.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Tony, this is Maddie. She has helped me the entire time I was here. I told her that since you were going to arrest her father that she could stay with us instead of going into foster care," Ziva said, answering for Maddie. Tony could tell that Ziva had developed a strong attachment for the girl, and how could he say no.

"Alright," Tony said. Ziva smiled.

"Thank you," Ziva said, and pulled away from him. "Now, can I go home?"

"No, you can't. You have to give a statement and Ducky has to check you over, and there are two very irate women at NCIS headquarters that need to speak with you about the way you share information," Tony said.

"You told," Ziva accused.

"I had too," Tony said. "And also, the Director is very upset that she had to find out about us getting married from Gibbs on top of you not telling about the baby." Ziva just laughed. They were interrupted by McGee coming down the stairs.

"He's not here," McGee said.

"What?!" Maddie exclaimed. "How could he not be here, I watched him go up the stairs myself, and I would have heard the car leave."

"He must have gone out the window," McGee said. "Gibbs wants to see Ziva, now."

"Alright," Tony said. "Maddie, I suggest you pack up anything you might want to take with you and meet us at the outside." Maddie nodded and ran up the stairs and Tony looked at Ziva.

"Don't even look at me that way," Ziva said, "he beat her for helping me. I cannot just let her go to foster care. Who is going to want a seventeen year old anyway? You know the system, and she can help. This is not up for discussion." Tony put up his hands in defeat.

"Alright, now let's go see Gibbs." They headed up the stairs and out to the car where Gibbs was waiting.

* * *

**A/N:** So, did you like it?If you did, please review. In the upcoming chapters, there's going to be a huge gap. After this chapter, I'm going to jump to the birth of the baby, and then after that wil be the wedding and some events which I cannot divulge at this time. If you have any suggestions, please tell me, and have fun watching the last new episode of 2007!


	8. Baby DiNozzo Pt 1

Baby DiNozzo Pt. 1

**Somewhere in the area of 9 months later…**

Ziva sighed in frustration. She was tired of sitting desk and she was tired of being pregnant. She didn't know what she thought was so exciting about it. She was tired of being fat, tired of the sore back, tired of the swollen ankles. The only thing good that had come out of it was having Maddie to help her at home. A few weeks after she had been kidnapped, she and Maddie had permanently moved into Tony's apartment. Ziva had even gone so far as to change her address in her work file. They still hadn't found James Avonworth, but they still looked. Instead of working cold cases on days when there were no crime scenes, they looked for Avonworth. Gibbs and Tony were worried that he would try to kidnap Ziva again or kidnap Maddie. Ziva knew that when she and Maddie ran errands, they were followed by a federal agent.

"Ziva," Abby said, snapping her fingers in front of Ziva's face, throwing off Ziva's thoughts.

"Yes, Abby?" Ziva asked.

"Will you come hang out with me in the lab? I know that you don't have anything to do until the boys get back, and I'm kinda lonely," Abby asked. Lately, Abby had noticed that Ziva was crankier when the boys went out for cases, so Abby had taken to inviting Ziva to the lab.

"Sure," Ziva said, struggling to get out of her chair.

"How much longer do you think it will be," Abby said, helping Ziva. Ziva was so frustrated; she didn't even bother to tell Abby that she didn't need help.

"Soon, I hope. What was I thinking, getting pregnant with DiNozzo's baby?" Ziva muttered out loud. "This baby never stops kicking."

"Well," Abby mused, "it is Tony's baby. I can only imagine what he or she will turn out to be like."

"Hopefully like me," Ziva said. "I've come to realize that one DiNozzo is enough." Abby laughed.

"You won't think that, as soon as you hold that baby in your arms, you'll be completely in love, and all these thoughts you're having now will be forgotten." When they reached the lab, Abby quickly grabbed a chair for Ziva and Ziva was grateful. As much as she hated sitting, standing was even worse.

"You know," Abby said, "sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a little Abby running around." This made Ziva laugh.

"And who do you imagine as the father?" Ziva asked curiously. Abby blushed furiously at the question.

"McGee," she whispered. Ziva smiled. "Promise you won't tell."

"I won't tell," Ziva promised, looking at the clock. "Maddie should be here soon, she's out of class." Maddie had taken to riding the bus to headquarters after classes to hang out with Ziva in the office. Abby had become very fond of Maddie right away.

"Oh good, I got her something," Abby said excitedly. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Abby, you spoil that girl," Ziva said.

"Yes, well, it's good practice for when I finally get that godchild," Abby retorted. Ziva and Tony had decided to ask Abby and Gibbs to be the child's godparents, and they were going to put it in their will that if anything should happen to them that the child should go to Gibbs or the Director. Everyone else was going to be christened "Aunt" or "Uncle".

Ziva and Tony also had the wedding all planned out. A month after the baby was born they were going to have a small, quiet wedding and only the NCIS family was invited. Gibbs and Abby were the best man and maid of honor, and the Director and McGee were a bridesmaid and groomsman. Ziva had also asked Ducky to walk her down the aisle. Once again, Ziva's thoughts were interrupted, this time by Maddie, who walked into the lab.

"Hey Ziva," Maddie said, leaning over and hugging Ziva. Ever since her kidnapping, Ziva had become more accustomed to hugs and didn't mind them so much. She was so comfortable that she would hug back, but only Maddie and Abby. "Aunt Abby," Maddie said, hugging the Goth.

"How was class?" Ziva asked. Maddie had successfully graduated high school in June and was now attending Argosy College.

"Great," Maddie responded as she threw her backpack into Abby's office and pulled a chair out to the lab area.

"I've got something for you," Abby said, holding up a plastic bag.

"Ohhh!" Maddie squealed and took the bag. Ziva leaned over to see what Abby had gotten Maddie. Maddie open the bag and pulled out a silver necklace from which a small, ornate, black gothic cross hung.

"Do you like it?" Abby asked. "I got one for me too."

"Aunt Abby, I love it," Maddie said, jumping out of her chair to hug Abby again. After the hug, Maddie hung the chain around her neck and sat back down. Maddie then turned to Ziva. "When will the boys be back?" Maddie asked. After Tony and Ziva had taken Maddie into their care, Maddie had been greatly welcomed in the NCIS family.

"I don't know, but I hope soon," Ziva answered. "I just want to go home, all the pain seems unbearable today, and I feel restless, but it hurts to walk around." Maddie shot a concerned glance at Abby. Ziva was due any day now and she was close to delivering a late baby.

"You know what, Ziva? Let's go home now, since you're not feeling well. I'm sure that Gibbs and Tony won't mind, what with you being close to having the baby and all, and you really shouldn't be at work anyway, even if you are sitting desk," Maddie said. Ziva debated internally, and then decided that Maddie did have a point and Ziva knew that it would be useless to argue, especially if Abby agreed.

"Alright," Ziva complied.

"Why don't you go out to the car, and I'll get your stuff from the bullpen," Maddie said, getting up and retrieving her own bag from Abby's office. Ziva got up out of the chair, and immediately bent over as a pain ripped through her stomach. Abby noticed and was immediately at her side.

"Ziva, what's wrong?" Abby asked with concern in her voice.

"Pain, in my stomach," Ziva gasped.

"Is is the baby?" Abby asked. Suddenly, Abby was aware that the floor was wet.

"I think my water just broke," Ziva said, gasping in pain.

"So do I," Abby said. "Maddie," Abby yelled and Maddie came barreling out of Abby's office. Maddie saw the water on the floor and her eyes had a look of horror. "Maddie, listen to me," Abby said calmly, "you need to call 911 and tell them that an officer at NCIS has gone into labor. Then you need to call the Director and tell her that she needs to send the alternate team out to the scene right away, then call Gibbs and tell him what's going on. Now!" Abby instructed. Maddie hurried into the office and grabbed the phone while Abby helped Ziva sit back down in the chair and started coaching her breathing. Ten minutes later, Maddie came out of the office.

" I did everything you said," Maddie said, coming over to where they were sitting and taking one of Ziva's hands. "Has she had another contraction?"

"No, and it's been about fifteen minutes, which is good, we still have some time," Abby said. In the distance, Abby, Maddie, and Ziva heard sirens. "Did you tell Gibbs to meet us at Bethesda?" Abby asked. Maddie nodded conformation. Suddenly, Ziva's grip tightened on Abby's and Maddie's hands. "Twenty minutes," Abby said, noting. The elevator dinged behind them and three emergency techs came off the elevator with a gurney.

"Hi," one of the EMT's said to Ziva as he unwrapped a blood pressure cuff. "I'm Rich."

"Ziva," Ziva replied.

"Can you tell me how many contractions you've had and how far apart they were?" Rich asked. Abby answered for Ziva.

"She's only had two so far and they were twenty minutes apart," Abby said.

"Can you help us get her onto the gurney?" another EMT asked. Abby and Maddie nodded and with the help of Rich, they helped Ziva onto the gurney. Just then Abby's cell phone rang, it was Tony.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee were combing through an abandoned warehouse that had housed a firefight which ended with two dead Marines. Tony and McGee were searching for all the bullet casings they could find when Gibbs appeared in the room.

"Leave it," he said.

"What's wrong?" McGee asked?

"Ziva's gone into labor, Maddie just called. Ducky is already on his way because he and Palmer have to drop the bodies off at the morgue. Maddie called the Director and she's sending the alternate team out here," Gibbs said. Tony was out the door and to the car like a shot, with Gibbs and McGee close behind him.

"I'm driving," Tony said, sliding into the driver's seat. Neither McGee nor Gibbs had the heart to argue with him. As Tony stepped on the gas, he whipped out his cell phone and speed dialed Abby, who picked up the phone.

"Everything is fine," were the first words out of Abby's mouth.

"Damn it, Abby, everything cannot be fine. Ziva's gone into labor without me there," Tony replied.

"Oh yes, because she had the choice to wait," Abby said sarcastically. Tony gave a frustrated huff.

"Tell her I'll be there soon," Tony commanded Abby.

"Normally, I would demand a please, but considering the circumstances…" Abby trailed off. "Hurry Tony," Abby whispered. "She needs you." Tony snapped his phone shut and pressed the accelerator down to the floor.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long, but I was busy with familt when I came home from school. Expect the next part soon. Please review and tell me what you think. Also, I would like to thank those who have already reviewed. Your comments enlighten my day and I look forward to reading them. They also help me write a better story, so thank you! Happy New Year.

**P.S.** My boyfriend bought me the first and second season of NCIS on DVD for Christmas... you have no idea how happy I was. Also, USA Network is picking up the reruns of NCIS starting January 2 at 9 & 10. They will be on USA every Wednesday night. Happy viewing!!


	9. Baby DiNozzo Pt 2

Baby DiNozzo Pt. 2

The ambulance containing Ziva and Maddie arrived at the hospital shortly, followed by Abby in her car. Not even two minutes after they arrived, the boys pulled up in the Charger.

"Tony," Ziva exclaimed, clearly happy to see him.

"Ziva," Tony said, running over and kissing her on the forehead. "What happened?"

"We were getting ready to leave and my water broke," Ziva answered, taking Tony's hand. Gibbs and McGee walked over. Gibbs, having been through this before, took Ziva's other hand, knowing that she would need all the support she could get.

"Let's get her checked in," Gibbs said. The EMT's rolled her into the emergency room and they were immediately checked in and transported to the delivery floor. During that time, Ziva had two more contractions, each of them closer together than before. After they had been put in a room, the doctor walked in.

"Miss David, I'm Dr. Alvarez, how do things seem to be going?" The doctor said.

"Painfully," Ziva answered. Dr. Alvarez checked Ziva's vitals, and then checked to see how far she was dilated.

"Well, things seem to be coming along nicely, you seem to be 5 centimeters dilated," Dr. Alvarez said, peeling off his gloves. "If you like, I can give you an epidural for the pain." Ziva considered this for a moment; she had heard stories about how painful birth was.

"I think I'll wait, if you don't mind, if the pain becomes too much, I will ask for it," Ziva said, answering the doctor's question.

"Alright, I'll be back in a little bit, if you need anything, press the nurse button," Dr. Alvarez said, and then headed out the door. Tony sat down on the edge of the bed next to Ziva. Ziva immediately put her head on Tony's shoulder.

"Ziva," Gibbs said, "take your ring off." Ziva looked at him questioningly. "Trust me, DiNozzo will thank me." Ziva shrugged, but slid the ring off of her finger and handed it to Abby, who placed it on her own finger for safe-keeping. There was a knock at the door and Ducky, Palmer, and the director walked in.

"How do you feel, Ziva?" Ducky asked, studying the readout on the machines that Ziva was hooked up to.

"As well as can be expected," Ziva answered. Palmer, Maddie, McGee, and Abby sat on the floor against the wall opposite of Ziva's bed. Gibbs let Jen sit in the chair next to Ziva's bed and he and Ducky leaned against the wall while Tony stayed on the bed with Ziva, and so the waiting began.

Six hours later, Ziva had made little progress. She had only dilated two more centimeters and was becoming restless. Her contractions were staying fifteen minutes apart and showed no signs of changing. Everyone except Tony and Gibbs had left to go get something to eat, but they hadn't gone far, only to the hospital cafeteria. Ziva had fallen asleep, which left Tony and Gibbs in silence. Tony stayed on the bed and stroked Ziva's hair.

"Boss," Tony said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, DiNozzo?" Gibbs answered.

"I don't know if I can do this," Tony said, whispering, because, after all, Ziva was a trained assassin with very good hearing, even when she was sleeping. Gibbs looked at Tony's face and saw fear.

"DiNozzo, you're gonna make a great dad. There are no words to describe how proud of you I am. You're like a son to me, and right now, you and Ziva are giving me the greatest gift that I've had in a long time. I haven't felt this proud since Kelly was born," Gibbs said, which surprised Tony. Gibbs rarely ever mentioned his first wife and daughter.

"Thanks, Boss," Tony said. Gibbs got up out of his chair and walked around to the other side of the bed, Tony stood up, wondering what Gibbs was up to. What Gibbs did next totally caught Tony off guard, Gibbs pulled Tony into his arms and hugged him. When Gibbs pulled away, he looked Tony in the eyes.

"If you ever tell anyone about what just happened, I'll kick your ass from here to Mexico, got it?" Gibbs threatened, and Tony smiled.

"Got it, Boss," Tony answered, and was rewarding with a gentle slap on the back of the head. Tony sat down on the bed and resumed stroking Ziva's hair. Gibbs headed for the door, wanting to give the couple a moment of privacy. When he stepped outside the door, he almost ran into Jenny, who, he assumed, was on her way back from the cafeteria.

"Jethro," Jenny said, acknowledging his presence. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine, Jen. I just wanted to give then some time alone," Gibbs answered, eyeing the cup of coffee in Jenny's hands. "Is that for me?" Gibbs asked, motioning towards the cup.

"Of course it is," Jen said, handing him the flimsy paper cup. Gibbs smiled and took a long draught, savoring the taste. He hadn't had coffee for several hours. Gibbs headed over to the chairs in the waiting room and sat down. Jenny followed him and sat in the seat next to him. "What's going through your head, Jethro?" Jenny asked. "You have that look on your face that you always do when you remember Shannon and Kelly."

"I was telling DiNozzo that I was proud of him and that I have always thought of him as a son, and I did talk about Shannon and Kelly, I was remembering the day that Kelly was born," Gibbs stopped short, to speak of his first wife and child twice in one day was uncharacteristic. Jenny placed her hand on top of Gibbs's.

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me," Jenny said, but she wished that he would confide in her. He had spent so many years repressing those memories until when he was in that explosion. Gibbs squeezed her hand to let her know that he was appreciative of her comfort. Just then Tony burst through the door of Ziva's room.

"We need the doctor," Tony yelled to the nurses. Gibbs and Jenny were out of their seats faster than a shot. Gibbs headed towards Ziva's room, while Jenny hung back briefly to call Abby, who was still down in the cafeteria with the others.

When Gibbs entered the room, Ziva was awake and in pain. Gibbs took Ziva's hand began stroking her forehead.

"Ziva, what's wrong?' Gibbs asked in a soft voice, trying to comfort his young agent.

"Contractions, pain," was all Ziva managed to get out before another spasm of pain racked her body. Tony returned with the doctor who immediately began assessing Ziva.

"Well, Miss David, it looks like you're fully dilated and the baby is crowning. I'm going to need you to push," the doctor told Ziva. Meanwhile, Tony had taken Ziva's other and was whispering in her ear, trying to calm her. Ziva was having none of it.

"Anthony DiNozzo, when I am well enough again, I am going to kill you with a paperclip, and trust me, it will be a long and painful death," Ziva growled while Jenny pushed some of Ziva's now sweat soaked hair out of her face.

"Ziva, push," the doctor said. Ziva pushed and along with it came a scream. "Very good, now take a deep breath, come on, Ziva, I need you to breath," the doctor coached. Doctor Alvarez motioned to the nurse, who in turn, slipped an oxygen mask over Ziva's mouth and nose. "Alright, Ziva, one more push," the doctor told her. Ziva braced herself and then pushed. Suddenly, Ziva's screams were interrupted by something, the crying of a baby. "Congratulations, Ziva, Tony, it's a boy," the doctor said. "Tony, would you like to cut the umbilical cord?" Tony looked questioningly at Gibbs, and Gibbs nodded. Tony took the pair of scissors and cut the umbilical cord, severing the tie between mother and son. The nurse took the baby from Doctor Alvarez and proceeded to clean, weigh, and measure him. Tony was meanwhile whispering to Ziva again, and Ziva's earlier threats were obviously forgotten and she had a look of contentment on her face. The nurse returned, holding the baby out to Ziva. Ziva carefully took the baby in her arms and looked down at his face.

"He looks like you, Tony," Ziva said, her voice clearly filled with awe. "What should we name him?" Ziva asked, looking up at Tony's face. Tony looked thoughtful for a moment and then answered Ziva.

"Todd, Todd Marcus," Tony said, looking at Gibbs, who gave him a silent nod of approval at Tony's nod to Kate.

"Here," Ziva said, handing Todd to Tony. Tony gingerly took the baby up in his arms and looked down at the tiny face of his son in wonderment. Carefully, as to not disturb Todd, who had already fallen asleep, Tony leaned down and kissed Ziva.

"Thank you," Tony told Ziva. Then he turned to Gibbs. "Would you like to hold your grandson?" Gibbs nodded and carefully took the sleeping baby from Tony.

"Why don't you go get the rest of the gang, before Abby goes bonkers," Gibbs said. Tony nodded and then slipped out the door. Ziva had fallen asleep from pure exhaustion. Jenny was standing behind Gibbs, looking over his shoulder at baby Todd. "Want to hold him, Jen?" Gibbs asked. Jenny nodded and Gibbs handed her the baby. Jenny took Todd and then began cooing to him, dancing a little in her spot. Gibbs watched Jenny and smiled. For the briefest of instants, Gibbs had a vision of Jenny with her own baby, his baby, but then he shook it out of his head, he tried hard to keep his feelings for her locked up. He just continued to watch Jenny with the baby, smiling.

**NCIS ****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS****NCIS**

Abby and Maddie were pacing the length of the waiting room, and they had been ever since Jenny had called Abby and told them to come up from the cafeteria. McGee, Ducky, and Palmer were seated, watching the girls pace. McGee had tried several times to get Abby to sit down, but to no avail. Just then, Tony emerged from Ziva's room. Abby and Maddie ran up to him expectantly. Tony smiled.

"It's a boy, five pounds, eight ounces, and his name is Todd Marcus," Tony said. Abby's eyes started to water when Tony mentioned the baby's name.

"You named him after Kate," Abby said, sniffling slightly. Tony smiled and nodded. Maddie and Abby then proceeded to throw their arms around Tony and hug him fiercely. McGee came over and slapped Tony on the shoulder, and Ducky and Palmer just stood there smiled.

"You guys can come in if you want to, just be quiet, Ziva and Todd are asleep," Tony said, putting his arm around Maddie and Abby and leading then to the room. There, they found Jenny holding the baby and Gibbs sitting in the chair watching her silently.

"Hey everyone," Tony said, hoping to pull Gibbs from his silent stare before anyone noticed. Jenny and Gibbs looked up at team, both clearly startled, but then Jenny smiled at Abby.

"Do you want to hold him?" Jenny asked Abby. Abby nodded vigorously and ducked out from underneath Tony's arm and took the baby from Jenny, who then went over to stand next to Gibbs, and, making sure no one noticed, took his hand in her own.

Meanwhile, McGee watched Abby hold Todd in his own silent reverie. McGee though that Abby looked beautiful with a baby in her arms, and for one moment, he felt a stab of jealously; Tony had found something that McGee would probably never have, all because he would never let go of Abby. Abby noticed that McGee was staring at her, and she smiled at him. She motioned for him to come over and look at the baby. McGee walked over to her and stood behind her, looking over at the baby, taking the same position that Jenny had with Gibbs.

"He's so beautiful, Tony," Abby whispered. Abby then began to coo to Todd softly until Maddie walked over to look too. Without even having to ask, Abby handed the baby over to Maddie. Abby looked over her shoulder at McGee who seemed to have a wistful look on his face. Abby smiled knowingly, and leaned back into McGee's arms. He stiffened for a second and then put his arms around the goth girl, and the goth girl sighed contently.

* * *

**A/N:** So, did you like it?? Huh, huh, huh, if you did, press that little button at the bottom of the screen. Did you like my inclusion of Jibbs and McAbby? Tell me what you think...


	10. Kidnapped, Again

Kidnapped, Again

It was two in the morning, and the silence was shattered by the merciless screams of a baby crying. Ziva was awoken instantly, but Tony was already up.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Tony mumbled. "Go back to sleep." Ziva smiled and placed her head back onto her pillow. Who would have ever thought that Tony would make a great dad? Ever since they had brought Todd home from the hospital, Tony had gotten up in the middle of the night, without complaining, to take care of the baby. The only time Ziva had to get up was when he as hungry. Ziva had to admit to herself, Tony made a wonderful father.

Quite some time later that morning, Tony packed Todd up in his car seat and loaded him into the back of the car. Todd cooed at Tony and Tony smiled.

"We're going to give mommy a break today," Tony said, starting a monologue. "Mommy needs to finish a few things for the wedding this weekend, so you get to take a field trip today. You're going to get to see Grandpa Gibbs, Aunt Abby, Auntie Jenny, Uncle McGee, Uncle Ducky, and Uncle Jimmy," Tony continued this litany while he strapped the car seat securely into its base and checked the seat belts. Todd watched him, cooing continuously and blowing spit bubbles. Tony sighed when he finished and took a moment to look at his son. "Aunt Kate would have loved you," Tony whispered, kissing his son on the forehead.

* * *

Ziva watched Tony out the window as he strapped Todd into his car seat. Tony appeared to be talking to Todd and Ziva smiled at the image of father and son. She sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. At the end of the week, she would finally become Mrs. Ziva DiNozzo. Ziva was brought out of her reverie by Maddie, who walked through the kitchen door and sat down next to Ziva.

"Ready to go shopping?" Maddie asked excitedly. She and Abby had been planning the wedding for months.

"Yes, but not a lot," Ziva answered. She still wasn't back to where she was before the baby came, and she was constantly tired. Ziva threw back the remaining contents of her coffee mug and then grabbed her keys, and she and Maddie headed out the door.

* * *

Tony arrived at NCIS headquarters and headed upstairs to the bullpen. McGee was there when Tony arrived.

"Hey, Tony," McGee said, looking up when his partner walked into the bullpen. McGee wasn't surprised to see Tony with Todd in tow. Tony had been taking responsibility for Todd a lot lately to give Ziva a break. McGee got up and took the baby carrier from Tony and sat it on his desk. McGee unbuckled Todd from the seat and carefully lifted him out. McGee was gradually becoming more comfortable with Todd.

"How's Ziva?" McGee asked as he rocked Todd gently in his arms.

"She's doing ok, she and Maddie are doing some last minute shopping for this weekend," Tony answered as he prepared Todd's bottle, which he then proceeded to hand to McGee, who began feeding Todd.

"Gibbs and the Director want to see you in her office," McGee told Tony. Tony sighed but began heading up the stairs.

"McGee, do me a favor, when you're finished feeding Todd, can you take him down to Abby. She said that she'd watch him," Tony said from the landing. McGee nodded and Tony headed into the Director's office.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ziva and Maddie were just finishing their shopping at the mall. Maddie was looking over her list while Ziva packed the bags into the back of her car.

"I think we got everything," Maddie said.

"Thank goodness," Ziva said, breathing a sigh of relief. She had never liked shopping much when she was younger and that hadn't changed a little bit. "So, are we going home?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah, but I wanted to get lunch first. There's a Chili's in the mall," Maddie said. Ziva didn't look convinced. "Please, Zee-vah," Maddie whined, taking up Tony's adaption of Ziva's name. "I'm starving."

"Don't you think that you are a little too old to be whining?" Ziva asked with a smile on her face.

"Is that a yes?" Maddie asked. Ziva nodded and Maddie hugged her. They both turned around to head back to the mall and came face to face with a barrel of a loaded gun.

* * *

After McGee had finished feeding Todd and burped him, he strapped Todd back into his carrier, gathered all of Todd's things and headed down to Abby's lab. When he got there, Abby was listening to her music and dancing around her lab and singing along. What was unusual was she wasn't listening to her usual music. McGee recognized the music to be Foreigner, his favorite 80's band.

"I have waited a lifetime, spent my time so foolishly," Abby sang into what looked to be a hairbrush, "but now that I found you, together, we'll make history." Just then, Abby realized that she was being watched, and she abruptly stopped. "Hi, McGee," Abby said, quickly grabbing the remote for the music and turning it off.

"Hi Abby," McGee answered, smiling brightly. "I never took you for a Foreigner fan." Abby blushed bright red.

"Well, I do like all kinds of music," Abby retorted, and then noticed what McGee was carrying. "Aww… you brought me Todd." Abby rushed over and took the baby carrier from McGee and sat it down on the table. He then disappeared into her office and came out with what look to be a baby carrier, the kind that you wore. "Will you help me get him into this?" Abby asked. McGee nodded and ten minutes later, Todd was strapped safely onto Abby's chest. "Thanks, McGee," Abby sat, giving him a kiss on the cheek since she was unable to hug him.

"Any time, Abby, any time," McGee said smiling. "You know, you'd make a great mom," McGee said, looking at Abby with adoration on his face.

"McGee, what are you doing later?" Abby asked. McGee looked at Abby, shock clearly on his face.

"N…nothing," McGee stammered.

"Want to get dinner?"

"Sure."

* * *

Up in the Director's office a different kind of conversation was taking place.

"Tony," the Director said, "James Avonworth was spotted earlier this morning, close to you apartment. We think that he's going to go after Ziva and the baby. Possibly today, and I understand that you brought Todd to work with you this morning?" Tony nodded.

"He's with McGee, and he's supposed to take him down to Abby," Tony answered. Tony spared a glance at the corner where Gibbs was sitting. So far, Gibbs hadn't said a word.

"Alright, I want you to call down Abby and tell her to go to Autopsy, there aren't any windows down there, and so if Avonworth decides to come after Todd, he can't get to him. Then we need to check on Ziva, is she at home?" Jenny asked. Tony shook his head, his gut now churning.

"She and Maddie were going to go to the mall today, they needed to finish up some last minute shopping, that's why I brought Todd with me," Tony said.

"Tony, go see if you can find them, I'll tell Abby she needs to go down to Autopsy," Gibbs said, finally speaking. Gibbs saw the fear in Tony's eyes and he walked over and put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "We'll get the bastard this time," Gibbs whispered to Tony. Tony didn't answer, but nodded his head slightly to acknowledge Gibbs. "I'll send McGee up to go with you," Gibbs said, and then headed out the door. Tony followed him, leaving a grim looking Jenny behind.

* * *

Ziva and Maddie looked into the eyes of the man that was currently pointing the gun at them. It was James Avonworth, the man that haunted Ziva's dreams. James cocked the gun and put it against Maddie's forehead.

"I swear, if you scream, I'll kill her," James said, giving no indication that he recognized Maddie as his daughter. "Give me your Sig, I know you have it, it's at the small of your back." Ziva stared in surprise at the man who had kidnapped her once. How could he possibly know that she had her Sig? She was wearing a loose and flowing top. Still puzzled, she reached behind her and slowly pulled the gun out and dropped it to the ground. James kicked it under a nearby car. With the gun still to Maddie's head, he grabbed Ziva roughly by the arm and dragged her and Maddie to a nearby white utility van. "Get in," James growled. Maddie and Ziva crawled into the back of the van, and the door slammed shut, and all was dark.

* * *

Tony and McGee approached Tony's apartment cautiously, guns in hand. Tony opened the door and McGee went in, with Tony following. They soon cleared the rooms and met back in the kitchen.

"Ziva's keys are gone," Tony said, "they must have gone to the mall after all." McGee took out his cell phone and called Gibbs. The conversation was short and from Tony's end, it sounded like Gibbs was yelling at McGee.

"On it, Boss," McGee finally said, and hung up his phone. "Gibbs said to go to the mall and search the parking lot for Ziva's car. He said that he tried calling her, but she didn't answer her phone and neither did Maddie."

When they arrived at the mall, Tony began to drive slowly up and down the rows of cars, looking for Ziva's new, black Chevy Equinox. She and Tony had decided that they need a family car after Todd was born, but Ziva didn't want to look like a soccer mom, so they had settled on the Equinox. Finally, after several rows, Tony spotted the car. He parked beside it and he and McGee stepped out and started examining the car.

"There are bags in the back seat," McGee said, looking through the back window. "And the doors are locked." Just then, McGee spotted something shiny underneath the tailpipe. He leaned down and picked it up, and found himself holding Ziva's keys. He recognized them because the keychain that he had given her after she first started working at NCIS was there. Just then, McGee heard Tony swear.

"Shit," McGee heard Tony mumble. McGee walked around to the other side of the car and found Tony on his hands and knees halfway under a car.

"What?" McGee asked. Tony didn't answer, but backed up from underneath the car holding Ziva's Sig Saur.

"This can't be good," Tony said, looking at the gun in his hand.

* * *

**A/N:** Did you like it? A link to the picture of Ziva's car can be found in my profile. Please, please, please review! Please? 


	11. Searching

* * *

Searching

Tony and McGee returned to headquarters and brought the gun to Abby so she could confirm that it was Ziva's Sig.

"It's defiantly hers, Tony," Abby said, examining the Sig underneath the bright light over top the autopsy table.

"Damn it," Tony swore and he began pacing the length of the room. "Abby, can you leave Todd here and go up to the lab and see if you can get a GPS fix on Ziva's or Maddie's phones?" Tony asked. Abby nodded furiously. Tony helped her un-strap Todd from his carrier and she took off like a shot up the stairs to see if she could get a GPS fix. Tony continued to pace with Todd in his arms, partially because she was worried, and partially to keep the baby asleep. Fifteen minutes later, Abby came running back into autopsy. The look on her face told Tony that she had not been successful.

"I'm sorry, Tony, I tried, he must have made them turn their phones off," Abby said, clearly looking disappointed with herself. Tony handed Todd to McGee and went over to hug Abby tightly.

"It's okay, Abby," Tony whispered into her ear, "we'll find them anyway. Everything will be okay."

"Tony, you have to find them," Abby whispered. "When we lost Kate, I could barely hold it together, if I lose Ziva and Maddie," Abby trailed off.

"I know, Abs, I know," Tony said. Tony let go of Abby, who took Todd from McGee. Holding Todd seemed to calm her down a bit. Just then, Gibbs walked into the room.

"Boss, we found Ziva's keys and Sig in the parking lot of the mall. Abby tried locating them through the GPS on their phones, but they either don't have service or he made them turn their phones off. What do you want us to do?" Tony said right away, before Gibbs could even ask.

"I want you to get that slimebag Johnny Franks back in here and interrogate the shit out of him, se if he's had contact with Avonworth in the last few months. Jen and I will go to Avonworth's old house to look for clues," Gibbs said.

"On it, Boss," McGee and Tony said in unison and they headed out the doors. Gibbs walked over to Abby and looked down at the sleeping form of Todd.

"Abby, you keep him safe," Gibbs said, kissing her on the forehead, "and don't worry, we'll find that dirtbag. I'm not going to let my grandson lose his mother." Abby smiled at his words, but Gibbs could tell that it was forced.

Meanwhile, Ziva and Maddie had been blindfolded, and led to what Ziva believed was a basement. They had been securely tied to what felt like metal folding chairs. They were left like that for what seemed to be forever, and then Avonworth returned and ripped the blindfolds off their faces.

"Hello, again," Ziva spat, no longer worried for her safety.

"Ah, a little more feisty with no little life to protect, how is precious Todd?" Avonworth sneered. At the mention of Todd's name, Maddie and Ziva gasped simultaneously.

"How did you," Maddie began.

"How did I know what the baby's name was?" Avonworth finished for Maddie. "The same way that I knew Miss David here was having nightmares. I have my ways."

"Is this about Tony again?" Ziva asked. Avonworth turned to face Ziva.

"My my, aren't we smart," Avonworth said. "Yes, that bastard didn't receive any punishment the last time; I barely did anything to you, thanks to my daughter. But now, it's different, they will never find you. You think that your team will come running through those doors, but they won't and you'll soon be dead. I'd say that I feel bad for taking you away from your son, but hey, I grew up without a mother, I'm sure he can manage." Ziva stared at the man, horrified. "I'll see you two later, right now, I have an appointment with the local whore." Avonworth mock bowed in Ziva and Maddie's direction and headed up the stair.

"What are we going to do, Ziva?" Maddie asked, her voice cracking, letting Ziva know that Maddie was scared.

"Don't listen to him," Ziva said, "Gibbs will find us, he always does. Sooner or later, his gut will lead him to us.

Gibbs and Jenny were searching through Avonworth's house, looking for anything that might point them to Ziva and Maddie. Jenny was on the first floor, searching through Avonworth's desk looking for any clues as to where Avonworth would have taken Ziva and Maddie. Opening the bottom drawer, she noticed a stack of letters, all addressed to Avonworth. She took them out and began rifling through them. When she realized where they were from, she called out to Gibbs.

"Jethro, I think I found something," Jenny called, continuing to rifle through the letters. She turned to look over her shoulder to see if Gibbs was coming, and found herself face to face with him and she gasped. "You know I hate it when you do that, right?" Jenny asked, trying to calm her now racing nerves.

"All the more reason for me to do it, Jen" Gibbs answered, a smile touching his lips. "What do you have?"

"I found these letters," Jenny said, handing them over to Gibbs. "They're from Avonworth's father."

"Alright, we'll get them to Abby and she can look over them to see if dear old dad mentioned anywhere that Avonworth could hide." Gibbs took a hold of Jenny's elbow and helped her off the floor. Jenny's limbs were sore from being in the floor, and as she stood, she stumbled a bit, falling into Gibbs. Gibbs caught her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her up, which made her face to face with face with him again. Jenny's breath hitched and her heart began racing, they hadn't been this close since Paris.

"Jethro," Jenny whispered. Gibbs didn't answer, but he let go of her.

"Not now, Jen," Gibbs said, and walked out of the room, leaving Jenny standing there with disappointment clearly shown on her face.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, I know that Ziva and Maddie are in trouble, but I couldn't resist putting in that little Jibbs moment, and nothing happened really. I would also like to explain about the McAbby moment in the last chapter, when Abby asked McGee out, they didn't know about Ziva and Maddie's disapperance yet, so they weren't worried yet because they didn't know. A reviewer pointed out that it wasn't the best idea, but it fits if you pay attention. Currently, I am calculating 3 more chapters, which include: the rescue, the wedding, and an epilogue. There might be more if I get another idea. I am also working on another story that is not related to this one. Review... please, it makes me happy, and happy writers write better stories!!! 


	12. Rescued, Finally!

Rescued, Finally!

Ziva was concentrating hard at the task at hand. Removing handcuffs, which she was fully capable of, was easier than removing the heavily knotted ropes that encircled her wrists.

"Ziva?" Maddie whispered questioningly through the darkness. Ziva heard the fear in her voice, which made her work all the harder to untie the ropes that bound her.

"It's okay, Maddie, I'm here," Ziva whispered in a soothing voice. It was the voice she used to put Todd to sleep, singing him Hebrew lullabies.

"Ziva, he'll really kill us, I know he will," Maddie whispered, sounding terrified. At hearing Maddie's words, Ziva's old instincts kicked in.

"Maddie," Ziva snapped. "Pull yourself together. We _will_survive, not if, we will. Gibbs will find u, and if he doesn't I will figure out some way to get us out. I wasn't trained to be an assassin for nothing." This sobered Maddie up, and she quickly quieted. Ziva continued to work at the knots furiously, racing against the countdown of their lives.

* * *

Back at Headquarters, Tony and McGee had Franks in custody. Tony called Gibbs to see what he wanted him to do.

"Boss, we have Franks," Tony said into his phone.

"Good, Jen and I are on the way back, we found letters from Avonworth's father and we're hoping that they will tell us something. Go ahead and start the interrogation, we can't afford to waste time," Gibbs said.

"On it, Boss," Tony said and snapped his phone shut. He turned toward McGee. "I'm going to start the interrogation. Watch closely and call me if you notice anything." McGee nodded and turned towards the observation glass. Seconds later, Tony walked in and slammed the door shut.

"You again," Franks gasped.

"Yeah, except I lied the last time we saw each other. I'm very much alive," Tony answered, throwing the case file on the table and sitting down.

"Tell me Franks, have you had any contact with James Avonworth recently?" Tony asked, narrowing his eyes and looking at Franks.

"No, not since the last time I was brought in," Franks answered, fidgeting in his seat.

"Really? Want to explain to me why you're so antsy?" Tony asked.

"You idiots have had me been holding me for over a half an hour. Nature's calling, if you know what I mean," Franks said, his eyes staying firmly on Tony's. Tony stood up and rapped his knuckles on the observation window.

"Agent McGee, please escort Mr. Franks to the little boy's room. Make sure he goes," Tony said. A few seconds later McGee opened the door and escorted Franks out. While they were gone, Tony took the time to sit and put his head in his hands, holding back all the emotions he'd been holding onto all day.

"She's a pretty good Agent," a voice said all of the sudden, and Tony looked up, startled. What he saw was Kate's image.

"You're dead," Tony said stupidly.

"Yes," Kate said, "but not to you. You hold me close in your heart. I may just be a figment of your imagination, but I'm here to help."

"Help, what do you mean, help?" Tony asked.

"Tony, you shouldn't worry. Ziva's a strong woman, she'll be fine," Kate said.

"Kate, it's different, I have a responsibility to Todd, I mean, what if something happens, and we don't get there in time? How do I explain to a little boy why he doesn't have a mother?" Tony said, his voice finally cracking under the pressure.

"Tony, I'm you're guardian angel, and I promise that Ziva will be okay," Kate said as she started to fade.

"We miss you, Kate," Tony whispered.

"I'm always there is you need me," Kate said, disappearing completely. Tony sat back in his chair, trying to decide if what he had seen was real. Then Kate's words hit him. She said Ziva would be okay, he had said nothing about Maddie.

* * *

"This isn't good," Abby said setting the last letter down on the table. "They've been planning this for years."

"Then why didn't Avonworth do this when Tony was dating Jeanne?" Jenny asked. "Why wait until Tony got together with Ziva?"

"Because he must have figured out that Tony and Ziva had a string bond and waited until the best time to exploit it," Abby said. "One of these letters mentions that Avonworth could use his old house, the one he grew up in, as a potential hideout if needed."

"Where, Abs," Gibbs said walking in a setting a Caf-Pow in front of Abby.

"Baltimore, Gibbs, where else?' Abby said, taking a long draught from the Caf-Pow container.

"Address, Abs?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh, sorry," Abby said, turning to type something on the computer. "1222 32nd Street," Abby said, turning away from the computer, but Gibbs and the Director were already gone.

* * *

Ziva had finally managed to undo the rope tying her hands and was not furiously trying to loosen the rope that tied her feet to the chair. Maddie was sitting in her chair silently. Ziva didn't know what was wrong with her, she hadn't spoken for several hours and Ziva wondered if she had gone into shock from fear. Finally, Ziva managed to loosen the ropes enough that she could pull her feet out fast if needed. Just then the door opened and Avonworth came down the steps. Ziva managed to get her hands behind her before Avonworth noticed.

"Are we having fun yet?" Avonworth asked with a smirk on his face. Ziva immediately noticed that Avonworth was slightly drunk.

"No," Ziva said.

"Good," Avonworth said, and then raised his hand and struck Ziva across the face, hard. Lights danced before Ziva's eyes and she struggled to keep her hands behind her back. Avonworth struck her again and again. Finally he finished and turned to Maddie. This time, instead of slapping her, Avonworth pulled out a gun. Maddie didn't even look up.

"My dear daughter, how could you turn against me?" Avonworth said, circling Maddie's chair slowly. Ziva didn't move, afraid that one small movement would alert Avonworth that she was untied. "You know, I thought you'd be like your mother, but you turned out to be a sad disappointment." Avonworth raised his gun, ready to pull the trigger, and Ziva was ready to spring out of her chair when they were interrupted.

"Freeze," Gibbs yelled, running down the stairs, followed by Jenny, Tony and McGee, all with their guns out. Avonworth turned his head and smiled.

"I don't think so," he said, and then, there was a bang.

* * *

**A/N: **Cliffy, wonder who got shot??? Well, I'm going to say this, I would like to see at least 10 reviews before I tell you who got shot. Deal? Good, now go review! 


	13. Wedding Bells

Wedding Bells

Ziva stood in front of a mirror, looking at her reflection. The dress that she had picked was simple enough. She was wearing a strapless gown with a bodice embroidered with roses accented with beads and sequins. The bodice came to her hips where it trailed into a sheer organza skirt, which was accented with the same design as the bodice at the bottom. Jenny had pulled Ziva's hair halfway back and it was held in place with jewel accented clips, while the rest of her hair hung down her back in soft curls. For jewelry, Ziva had replaced her Star of David with a simple silver chain with a half carat diamond and matching earrings, given to her by McGee. For the first time in her life, Ziva David felt beautiful. Just then, Ziva was brought out of her reverie by a soft knock at the door.

"Come in," Ziva called as she sat down in front of the temporary vanity. The opened and Gibbs walked in. "Hello, Gibbs," Ziva said, looking up.

"Ziva," Gibbs said, pulling a chair over to where Ziva was. "Are you ready?" Gibbs asked. Ziva inhaled slowly, and then let the breath out. Gibbs took this as a no.

"I'm just not sure that I'm cut out to be a housewife," Ziva said.

"But you won't be," Gibbs said. "You still have your job at the agency, it's not like you're quitting to become a wife and mother."

"Excellent point," Ziva said, "let me rephrase that, I don't think that I'll be a good wife and mother. I've been training since I remember to be an assassin, a Mossad agent. I never learned to be a wife or a mother."

"Ziva," Gibbs said, taking her hand in his, like a father would, "I've seen you with Todd. When you look at him, you always have this look upon your face which I can only describe as adoration and wonder. When you look at Tony, you have love in your eyes. You'll learn. As hard as it is to believe, I felt the same way when Kelly was born. I didn't think that I could be a good father, didn't think that I was cut out for the job. You and Tony will learn these things together." Ziva looked up at Gibbs, her eyes watering slightly.

"You think so?" Ziva whispered. Gibbs leaned over and kissed Ziva on the forehead gently.

"I know so," Gibbs said, standing up. He held out his hand to Ziva and helped her out of her chair. "Now, Ms. David, I think that you and I have a wedding to attend."

* * *

Tony stood at the altar with Gibbs and McGee slightly behind him. He kept wringing his hands nervously. His eyes kept switching between the door at the back of the church and Todd, who was being held in the front row by Maddie. When Gibbs had shot Avonworth, Avonworth's gun had discharged into Maddie's knee. Maddie had spent hours in surgery and was now undergoing hours of physical therapy. She also was required to wear a knee immobilizer and use crutches, which was preventing her from standing up at the altar with them, but she had on a bridesmaids dress none the less. 

At Abby's insistence, Ziva had let her pick out the bridesmaids dresses so that Abby would have no problem wearing it. Abby had picked out a strapless chiffon dress that floated to mid-calf length, which was ruby, almost blood, red in color. In accordance, Tony had on a matching vest and tie, while Gibbs and McGee were wearing black vests and matching ties. Todd had been dressed in a tiny black suit with a tiny red vest to match Tony's.

Just then, the organ sounded and the doors at the back of the church opened. First, Abby came out. When she did, McGee took a sharp breath. She looked beautiful in her dress, and she had done her best to cover her tatts for the occasion. After Abby came out, Jenny followed and Gibb's reaction was much the same as McGee's had been to Abby. Gibbs stared at Jenny as she made her way down the aisle. He mentally kicked himself for letting her go all those years ago.

Now it was Ziva's turn, and she appeared in the doorway on Ducky's arm. Tony drank in the sight of her, she looked amazing. As Ziva walked down the aisle, Tony almost heard Kate in his head saying "I told you so." When Ziva and Ducky reached the altar, Ducky kissed Ziva on the cheek and then went and sat down next to Maddie and Palmer.

"You look beautiful," Tony whispered, and Ziva blushed. Then, the priest started.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David in holy matrimony. If anyone thinks that these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace. Six sets of eyes glared into the crowd seated in the church and the crowd remained silent. "Alright then, we shall begin. Anthony and Ziva have decided to say something to each other before taking their vows." Tony was first.

"Ziva, I knew from the moment that I saw you that you were going to be trouble, and you proved me to be right. But I never minded. You filled the void that was left by Kate, and you eased the pain that was in our hearts as you slowly made a name for yourself in the agency. I think when I finally fell in love with you was when we were working undercover as the married couple. I said that I was trying to imagine you as a mother, and you told me not too. That got me curious. And here we are, two years later, standing at the altar. I love you, Ziva." Tony said, swallowing hard to keep the emotions in check that were swelling up in him.

"Tony," Ziva began, "my first thought of you was that you were a huge pain in the ass. I was right, but you're also a good friend, loyal partner, and loving father. I do believe that since Todd was born, I've only had to get up in the middle of the night twice. I knew that I loved you on my first day at NCIS when I told you that you were thinking of doing page fifty-seven with me. You have transformed me, and I like it. I love you, Tony."

"Alright, we will now begin with the vows. Anthony, we'll start with you," the priest said. Tony winced at the priest's constant referral to his full name. "Anthony DiNozzo, do you take Ziva to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" Tony looked into Ziva's eyes.

"I do."

"And do you, Ziva David take Anthony to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" Ziva swallowed hard.

"I do."

"Now, the rings," the priest said. McGee reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box and handed it to Tony. "Tony, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed, and promise to cherish forever." Tony took Ziva's ring out of the box.

"With this ring, I thee wed, and promise to cherish forever," Tony said, slipping the ring onto Ziva's finger. They had decided on matching plain platinum wedding bands. A single tear fell down Ziva's cheek as she looked at the ring now on her finger.

"Now Ziva," the priest said. Ziva turned to Abby who held out Tony's ring.

"With this ring, I thee wed, and promise to cherish forever," Ziva said, sliding the ring onto Tony's finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said. Tony swept Ziva up into his arms and kissed her fiercely. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Anthony DiNozzo."

* * *

Several hours later, the reception was in full swing, with champagne and alcohol flowing freely. Maddie had taken Todd home long ago and Palmer had gone with her, much to the surprise of the entire team. Ziva and Tony had shared their first dance, and during the father daughter dance, Ziva had danced with Gibbs. Abby had taught Ziva the Electric Slide and the Cotton Eyed Joe dance so far, and right now, a slow song was playing over the speakers. Ziva and Tony were dancing in the center of the floor while Abby and Jenny watched from the sidelines. Suddenly, a pair of hands encased Jenny's eyes. 

"Jethro," Jenny said, and Gibbs removed his hands.

"Dance with me, Jen," Gibbs said, holding out his hand. Jenny stood up and allowed Gibbs to lead her to the dance floor.

"So tell me, Jethro, what was going through your mind when you saw me walk down the aisle?" Jenny asked.

"I was thinking about how sorry I was that I let you go," Gibbs answered. Jenny said nothing, but looked up at him.

"Oh really?" Jenny asked.

"Jen, I still love you. Will you come back?"Gibbs asked. Jenny's jaw dropped.

"Jethro, I never left," Jenny said, and then placed her lips upon his.

Meanwhile, McGee had taken the Jenny's vacated seat and he and Abby sat watching Ziva, Tony, Gibbs, and Jenny. Both of their jaws had dropped when Jenny had planted one on Gibbs.

"I think they're good together," Abby said. "I always knew that something had been there." McGee looked over at Abby.

"You know, we never did get to go to dinner the other night," McGee said, finally mustering up some courage.

"I know," Abby said. "Wanna come home with me?" McGee's jaw dropped at this, but he quickly recovered.

"I don't have to sleep in the coffin this time, do I?" McGee asked, causing Abby to laugh.

"No, McGee, you don't," Abby said, and then kissed him soundly on the lips.

* * *

**A/N: **One more chapter, are you sad? I am. Anyway, links for Ziva's dress, Maddie's, Abby's, and Jenny's dressed, Ziva's hair, and the wedding bands can be found on my profile if you're interested. Please review!! 


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue – Backyard Barbeque, NCIS Style!

_**Five Years Later**_

"Grandpa," Todd yelled, running at Gibbs, who had just walked into the backyard with Jenny behind him. Todd's two year old sister, Tali, looked up and saw who it was, rose to her feet and also ran, a bit unsteadily, at Gibbs, all the while yelling, "Gwanpa, Gwanpa." Gibbs scooped both Todd and Tali up into his arms and kissed their foreheads.

"Hey guys," he said. "Where's your mommy?"

"Right here," Ziva said, stepping out from the sliding glass doors. After she and Tony had gotten married, Ziva had resigned from Mossad and become a full time special agent. Ziva walked over to Gibbs and kissed him on the cheek. "We were starting to worry," she said, taking Tali from Gibb's arms.

"We were late leaving," Jenny said, coming from behind Gibbs and handing Ziva a covered casserole dish.

"Toda," Ziva said, taking the dish. Jenny held out her arms and Ziva handed Tali to her.

"Where's DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Inside," Ziva said, "he's been going back and forth between the kitchen and the grill all day. When McGee and Abby got here, he thought that they could help. Abby is doing okay, and actually helping, and McGee," Ziva trailed off.

"He's completely hopeless in the kitchen," Tony said, appearing in the backyard with a plateful of burgers in one hand and a plate full of hot dogs in the other. Gibbs had to stifle a laugh when he saw Tony. Ton had on shorts and a short sleeve button down shirt, but that was not the funny part. Tony was wearing an apron that said 'Kiss the Cook' in bright green letters. The apron also had what appeared to be a tool belt, except instead of being full of tools; it was full of cooking utensils.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said, "do you need any help?"

"Could you, Boss? I tried letting McGee make a salad, but he's not doing it very well," Tony said starting to slap burgers on the grill.

Sitting at the picnic table already were Ducky, Palmer, and Maddie. Palmer and Maddie had been together ever since the wedding. A few months after Tali was born, they got married, and Maddie had just had her first child, a girl, whom she had named Sarah, after her mother. Jenny went and sat down next to Maddie, who offered her the sleeping baby, which Jenny took. Every time she saw one of her friends with a child, it broke her heart just a little. She and Jethro were progressing each day, but slowly. Jethro didn't want to screw it up.

Meanwhile, inside, Abby had just run at Gibbs and hugged him.

"Easy there, Abs," Gibbs said, hugging her back. Abby and McGee had just gotten married and were as happy as could be.

"Gibbs, McGee ruined the salad," Abby said pointing at the blue plastic bowl sitting on the island. Gibbs looked at the contents of the bowl and had to struggle not to laugh.

"Don't worry, Abs, I'll fix it," Gibbs said, and then walked over and slapped McGee up alongside of his head.

"Sorry, Boss," McGee said sheepishly.

* * *

Several hours later, after all the food had been put away and the children to bed, the nine adults sat around the picnic table, drinking wine, and reminiscing about the past. Some of Tony's and McGee's stories were about Kate, but Ziva didn't mind, she actually liked hearing about her predecessor. Gibbs even told a few stories about the crazy antics his daughter, Kelly, had gotten up too when she was little, which launched Tony and Ziva into stories about Todd and Tali. 

The tiki torches were burning low, and Gibbs surveyed the scene, watching his family with love in his eyes, and for the first time since Shannon and Kelly's death, Gibbs felt truly happy and blessed.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you like the story! I'm a little sad that it's over. I am, however, contemplating a semi-sequel containing the adventures of Todd and Tali DiNozzo... if I get good feedback, I just might write it up!!! Happy reading, and enjoy watching the new episode next week!!! 


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